From a Church under a Tree to a built and furnished Church:

Gulu Baptist Church (GBC) was started in 1992 as a Branch Church of Lugogo Baptist Church, Kampala. Rev Richard Otto(Dick) of Lugogo Baptist Church and some of Lugogo Baptist Church’s members, came and opened it on March 17, 1992. It was the only Baptist Church that started in Acholi sub-region. The Church then became a Branch Church of Lugogo Baptist Church.

The Church started to be governed by a Pastor and a Committee called the Church Committee. Pr. Jackson Okere was the Lead Pastor and was assisted by Pr. Walter Mjungu Munu. Mr. Livingstone Lukiko was the Chairperson of the Church Committee and Mr. Okot MAP was the Treasurer of the Church Committee.  The numbers of believers in the Church were less than 50 people (men, women and children) and more than 90 % were local people who lived around the school where the Church was located, and about 10% were visiting Christians and others. Majority of the congregants were people of very low education levels and income. The number of Christians kept on multiplying so that when the Church shifted from the Primary School to the Church’s own land in 1995, the number of Christians (Congregants) reached approximately 100 people. Currently, the numbers of Christians are over 800 congregants in all the three services that the church conducts every Sundays. 

Services conducted in Gulu Baptist Church (GBC):

In the period between 1992 -2001, the Church has been conducting only one Sunday service every Sunday, an overnight prayer in a month, and a mid-month prayer and fasting every month but crucial activities for the spiritual growth and development of the Church such as Choir practice was done twice a week, Wednesday and Saturday. Sunday school and discipleship classes were done every week. The Choir used local instruments such as Adungu, Thumb Piano and Rigi-rigi etc for praise and worship in the Church. The modern system (Public Address System) came later after the Church had established the Permanent Church Building. Sunday Service would start at 9:00 AM with a Bible study and would end at 1:00 PM. The language used in conducting the service is Luo as all were Luo speakers

Succession of Pastors of Gulu Baptist Church (GBC) from 1992 to 2024:

Throughout the years of Gulu Baptist Church existence to the time of developing the strategic development work plan in 2024, the Church has had a number of pastors as listed down

1992,     Pr. Jackson Okere (the late) became the Lead Pastor

           Pr. Otto Walter Mujungu became Assistant Pastor

1997,    Pr. Nelson Okello (the late) became the Lead Pastor

              Pr. Alfred Odokorach became a Deacon (Assistant Pastor)

2002,   Rev. Vincent Ocheng Ocen became Lead Pastor

             Pr. Alfred Odokorach became Pastor in charge of Administration

                         Pr. David Odong Lam became Pastor In-charge of Youths, Sunday schools and Evangelism

2012 Rev: Vincent Ocheng Ocen continued being The Lead Pastor

         Rev: Alfred Odokorach, continued being Pastor In-Charge of Administration.

     Pr. Athony Ojok Lalobo became Pastor In-Charge of Youths, Evangelism and Sunday school

2016, Rev:   Vincent Ocheng Ocen continued being The Lead Pastor

             Pr: Anthony Ojok Lalobo, became Pastor In-charge of Administration

         Pr: Geoffrey Okot became the Pastor In-charge of Youths, Evangelism and Sunday school

         2024 Rev. Vincent Ocheng Ocen continued being Lead Pastor

                             Pr. Kenedy Okello became Pastor In-charge of Administration

       Pr. Denis Enock Kidega became Pastor In-charge of Youths, Evangelism and Sunday       school

Succession of Elder’s Board Leaders from 1992 to 2023:

1992,         Mr. Livingstone Lukiko became the Chairperson Elder’s Board

               Mr. Labeja George became the Secretary

               Mr. Okot MAP became the Treasurer

                           Mrs: Onen Neko was the Chairperson Women Council

         1995,     Mr. George William Kumago became the Chair Person Elders’ Board.

                           Mr. Ocheng Vincent Ocen Charles became the Secretary

       Mr. Okot Map became the Treasurer

                           Mrs. Janet Omona became the Chairperson Women Council

         1999,    Mr. George William Kumago was the Chairperson Elders Board

                           Mrs: Lapwony Agness was the Church Secretary

                           Mr: Otema Patrick became the Church Treasurer.

                           Mego Janet Omona Continued Being Chairperson Women Council

         2006.       Mr. Ongom Akoko was the Chairperson Elder’s Board

                           Mr. Odong Charles became the Church’s Secretary

                             Mr. Otema Patrick was the Treasurer Elders Board.

                             Mrs. Alice Kumago became the Chairperson Women Council

         2012:       Mr. Ojok Anthony Lalobo became the Chairperson of the Elder Board

          Mr. Kidega Denis Enock was the Church’s Secretary

                             Mr. Otema Patrick continued as the Church Treasurer

                             Mrs Lucy Angee became the Chairperson, Women Council

         2015,       Mr. Ogwang Amos became the Chairperson Elder’s Board

         Oscar Oling, Mr. Ocen Geoffrey and Mr. Kibwota George, was the Church’s Secretaries, one after the other within that period.

                             Mr. Otema Patrick continued being the Church’s Treasurer

                             Mego. Hellen Acen became the Chairperson Women Council

2018         Mr. Ogwang Amos continued being the chairperson Elder’s Board

               Mr. Kibwota George   continued being the Church’s Secretary

              Mr. Otema Patrick continued being the Church’s treasurer.

                 Mego. Hellen Acen continued being the Chairperson, Women Council

2021,            Mr. Ogwang Amos continued being the Church’s Chairperson

                 Mr. Arop Richard Achire became the Secretary of the Church

               Mr. Ocen Frederick became the treasurer of the Church

           Mego. Hellen Acen continued being the Chairperson, Women Council

The Temporal Structure:

The Church shifted away from Layibi Central Primary School in 1995 and a construction of a Temporary shelter started right away on the Church’s new land on which the Church is resident currently.

The members contributed through giving bundles of grasses, moulding of bricks and physically involving in building the first structure of the Church (Temporal Structure).  It was a grass thatched house which could shelter at most 100 people. This was completed in 1995 and dedicated that same year and ministry continued.

The Permanent Structure:

The construction of the New Church Structure (permanent structure), the furniture in the Church, the Office Block and the Local Bible School (Gulu Baptist Nursery School) started in 2001. The construction was initiated by a Baptist Missionary in Uganda called Rev: Richard Otto (Dick) who was one of the Elders of Lugogo Baptist Church, Kampala, Uganda by then. He was a Baptist missionary from the United States of America (USA) and a member of Conservative Baptist International (CBI)

When the New Church (The Permanent Structure) construction started, there was some contribution from the Church in terms of the land, bricks, water, provision of food to the builders and labour among others. Over 80% of the cost of the construction came from Rev: Richard Otto (Dick). These costs include the cost of all the technical works. Engineer Michael worked on the plan and the construction began. Office Block and the Bible School construction were done a little later and all the funding came from Rev: Richard Otto (Dick). The Church construction was completed in 2002 after which the Church was then dedicated to God that same year.

Renovation of Gulu Baptist Church:

Since the construction and dedication of the New Church building in 2003, the Church was again renovated in 2016. The renovation did not increase the Capacity of the Church but two Office blocks were built within the Church building to accommodate the Pastoral Team and the Elder’s Board.  

The Church received new painting and tiling of the floor in the same year 2016 and it was also again rededicated that very year.